Dicentra plant named ‘Love Hearts’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Dicentra  plant named ‘Love Hearts’, characterized by its upright to outwardly spreading plant habit; freely flowering habit; light yellow green to white-colored flowers with purple to greyed red-colored apices; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Dicentra peregrina×Dicentra oregana.

Cultivar denomination: ‘LOVE HEARTS’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Dicentra plant, botanically known as Dicentra peregrina×Dicentra oregana and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Love Hearts’.

The new Dicentra plant originated from a cross-pollination conducted by the Inventor in 2002 in Götenborg, Sweden, of an unnamed selection of Dicentra peregrina, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unnamed selection of Dicentra oregana, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Dicentra plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Götenborg, Sweden in June, 2004.

Asexual reproduction of the new Dicentra plant by cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Heerhugowaard, The Netherlands since 2011 has shown that the unique features of this new Dicentra plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Dicentra have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Love Hearts’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Love Hearts’ as a new and distinct Dicentra plant:

-   -   1. Upright to outwardly spreading plant habit.     -   2. Freely flowering habit.     -   3. Light yellow green to white-colored flowers with purple to         greyed red-colored apices.     -   4. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Dicentra differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Dicentra are larger and more vigorous than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Dicentra and the female parent selection         differ in flower color as plants of the female parent selection         have pinkish red-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Dicentra differ from plants of the male parent selection primarily in flower color as plants of the male parent selection have yellow-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Dicentra can also be compared to plants of Dicentra peregrina×Dicentra eximia ‘Ivory Hearts’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,599. Plants of the new Dicentra and ‘Ivory Hearts’ differ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Dicentra are shorter than plants of ‘Ivory         Hearts’.     -   2. Plants of the new Dicentra have darker-colored leaves than         plants of ‘Ivory Hearts’.     -   3. Peduncles of plants of the new Dicentra are more upright than         peduncles of plants of ‘Ivory Hearts’.     -   4. Plants of the new Dicentra and ‘Ivory Hearts’ differ in         flower color as plants of ‘Ivory Hearts’ have creamy         white-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Dicentra plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Dicentra plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Love Hearts’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of typical leaves of ‘Love Hearts’.

The photograph on the third sheet is a close-up view of typical flowers of ‘Love Hearts’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the late summer in an outdoor nursery in Afferden, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial Dicentra plant production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 32° C. and night temperatures ranged from 6° C. to 20° C. Plants were one year old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Dicentra peregrina×Dicentra oregana ‘Love     Hearts’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed selection of Dicentra             peregrina, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed selection of Dicentra             oregana, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots plant, summer.—About three weeks at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted plant, summer.—About six weeks at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Root description.—Thick, fleshy; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial grown as a             container or garden plant; upright to outwardly spreading             plant habit; leaves and flowering shoots developing from a             basal rosette; low vigor to moderately vigorous growth             habit.         -   Plant height.—About 22.9 cm.         -   Plant width (spread).—About 24.6 cm.         -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Developing from a basal             rosette; compound with three leaflets per leaf. Leaf length:             About 8 cm. Leaf width: About 7.5 cm. Terminal leaflet             length: About 4.3 cm. Terminal leaflet width: About 4.5 cm.             Lateral leaflet length: About 4.6 cm. Lateral leaflet width:             About 3.7 cm. Leaflet shape: Broadly ovate to nearly             deltoid. Leaflet apex: Acute. Leaflet base: Short attenuate.             Margin: Deeply incised to laciniate. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Venation pattern: Pinnate.             Color: Developing leaflets, upper surface: Close to N138B.             Developing leaflets, lower surface: Close to 191B. Fully             expanded leaflets, upper surface: Close to 189A to 189B;             venation, close to 189A to 189B. Fully expanded leaflets,             lower surface: Close to 191B; venation, close to 146B to             146C. Petioles: Length, from base of petiole to base of             lateral leaflets: About 4.9 cm. Length, from base of lateral             leaflets to base of terminal leaflet: About 2.5 cm.             Diameter: About 2.5 mm by 2 mm. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper surface: Close to             189A; towards the base tinged with close to N187C. Color,             lower surface: Close to 183C to 183D tinged with close to             189A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Single flattened cordate to             saccate-shaped flowers arranged in loose compound panicles;             inflorescences arising from the central crown; nodding             flowers held above the foliar plane on strong peduncles;             freely flowering habit with about nine open flowers per             inflorescence and about 180 flowers developing per plant.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Flowering occurs from May to July             until first frost in The Netherlands.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Flowers maintain good substance             and color for about ten days on the plant; flowers not             persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Height: About 1.6 cm. Diameter: About 9 mm.             Shape: Ovate. Color: Close to 150D; towards the apex, close             to 150A to 150B with stripes, close to N77B; base tinged             with close to 182C.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 6.2 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 6.7 cm.         -   Flower diameter, at widest point.—About 1.7 cm.         -   Flower diameter, at narrowest point.—About 9 mm.         -   Flower depth.—About 1.9 cm.         -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Typically four; two outer             saccate petals fused in to a cordate structure and two inner             petals fused at the apices. Length, outer petals: About             1.7 cm. Length, inner petals: About 8 mm. Width, outer             petals: About 7 mm. Width, inner petals: About 3 mm. Shape,             outer petals: Ovate. Shape, inner petals: Ovate. Apex, outer             and inner petals: Rounded. Margin, outer and inner petals:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Color, outer petals: Developing and fully expanded petals,             outer surface: Close to 154D; towards the base, close to             155A flushed with close to 182D; with development, color             becoming closer to 155C heavily flushed with close to 182D.             Developing and fully expanded petals, inner surface: Close             to 154D; towards the base, close to 155A flushed with close             to 182D. Color, inner petals: Developing and fully expanded             petals, outer surface: Close to 155A; upper half, close to             N77B and 150C; with development, color becoming closer to             155C with upper half, close to N77D. Developing and fully             expanded petals, inner surface: Close to 155A; upper half,             close to 150C.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Typically two; opposite,             closely appressed to base of corolla. Length: About 4.5 mm.             Width: About 4 mm. Shape: Broadly ovate. Apex: Acute. Base:             Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: Immature, upper and lower surfaces:             Close to 151A slightly tinged with close to 184D. Mature,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 151B to 151C slightly             tinged with close to 184C.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 17.7 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Angle: Varying from upright to about 50° from vertical.             Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Smooth, waxy. Color:             Close to 146A tinged with close to 187A; waxy layer, close             to N187C to N187D.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1.3 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Angle:             About 45° from vertical. Strength: Moderately strong.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 138A to 138B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically             six. Filament length: About 1.3 cm. Filament color: Close to             NN155C. Anther shape: Oblong. Anther length: About 1 mm.             Anther color: Close to 22A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen             color: Close to 15A. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One.             Pistil length: About 1 cm. Stigma color: Close to 154D.             Style length: About 9 mm. Style color: Close to 145A to             145B. Ovary color: Close to 146B to 146C.         -   Seeds.—Quantity per fruit: About 20. Size: About 2.5 mm by             1.5 mm. Color: Close to 203A.         -   Fruit.—Size: About 16 mm by 7 mm. Color: Between N199A and             N200B. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Dicentra have been not     been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Dicentra plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Dicentra have been observed to     have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind and     temperatures ranging from about −20° C. to about 40° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Dicentra plant named ‘Love Hearts’ as illustrated and described. 